Game feeder

ABSTRACT

A game feeder having a recessed game feed spinner plate, which discharges game feed through a relatively narrow opening. The spinner plate is rotated by an electric motor, which is housed in a protective enclosure within the game feeder, along with the battery and timer, and protected from animals. The narrow discharge opening minimizes feed loss by animals accessing the spinner plate. The game feeder may sit on the ground, or may be mounted on a support such as a pole or tree with mounting hooks and a bracket, and when mounted is especially resistant to feed loss or feeder damage by bears, feral hogs and the like.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This invention relates, generally, to apparatus for dispensing feed,generally dry feed such as corn (referred to as “game feed” or “feed”),to wildlife for the purpose of attracting the wildlife to a particularlocation. Such apparatus are commonly known as “game feeders.” Forexample, such game feeders are commonly used to dispense corn to attractdeer to a particular location in proximity to a hunting stand, forhunting purposes.

While such game feeders have taken many forms, one common form is thebroadcast type feeder, which has a feed container or reservoir whichfeeds corn or other feed by gravity to a rotating spinner plate, havingvanes thereon. The spinner plate is driven by an electric motor, usuallybattery powered, which turns on at desired times (usually controlled bya timer). The spinner plate throws the corn out some distance from thefeeder. Many prior art feeders of this type are elevated several feetabove the ground, to aid in broadcasting the corn and in an effort tolimit unwanted taking of the corn by varmints.

A common issue with game feeders is the unwanted eating of the corn,while still in the feeder, by unwanted vermin, such as raccoons,squirrels, etc., combined with the destruction of the game feeder byvermin such as wild hogs and bears. Raccoons can be a particularlydifficult animal to deal with, as their mobility and dexterity in use oftheir paws (which are nearly like a human hand) permits them to reachonto and into surfaces to steal corn. Other varmints that either stealcorn or other feed, or interfere with the game feeder itself, aresquirrels, opossums, birds, etc.

Common game feeders have a number of limitations:

-   elevated feeders pose issues with loading the feeder with corn, as    heavy bags of corn must be lifted up to pour into the feeder-   elevated feeders are prone to being knocked over by feral hogs and    bears, and when the feeder is on the ground the corn can be pilfered    by varmints such as raccoons and the like-   the exposed motors, batteries, timers, spinner plates, etc. of    common feeders are frequently damaged by varmints, particularly    raccoons-   varmints, particularly squirrels and raccoons, are able to reach    into the area of the feeder from which the corn flows, and even if    the feeder is not damaged can eat significant amounts of corn-   exposed motors, wiring, timers/controls, and spinner plates are    subject to weather damage-   if simply placed on the ground, unsecured, the feeders are easily    knocked over by bears, hogs, cows, etc.

Suffice to suggest that known prior art feeders have a number oflimitations which result in loss of the expensive corn to unwantedanimals, and/or destruction of the feeder itself by animals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A game feeder embodying the principles of the present inventioncomprises a main body having an upper reservoir section, sized to hold adesired volume of game feed. The game feeder further comprises a baseplate disposed within said main body, defining a bottom surface of thereservoir section, said base plate shaped so as to funnel game feed toan opening in the base plate through which game feed can flow. Adischarge plate is disposed within the main body, below the base plate,the discharge plate extending in an upwardly sloping direction to adischarge opening in a wall of the main body. A spinner plate isdisposed in an opening in the discharge plate, the spinner platecomprising one or more upwardly extending vanes, and the spinner platedisposed below the opening in said base plate so as to receive game feedonto the spinner plate as game feed flows from said reservoir section.The spinner plate is positioned sufficiently far back from saiddischarge opening to minimize animal depradation. A guide wall isdisposed on the discharge plate, around at least a portion of thespinner plate. A rotary drive, which may be an electric motor, isattached to said spinner plate, said rotary drive shielded from outsideaccess. A battery, wiring, timer, etc. are provided to control themotor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a game feederembodying the principles of the present invention, while dischargingfeed (corn).

FIG. 2 is a section view of part of the game feeder.

FIG. 3 is a bird's-eye view of the interior of the feeder, looking downon the base plate and spinner plate.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spinner plate, vanes, and a sectionof the base plate and guide wall.

FIG. 5 is a section view along the line indicated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 shows mounting hooks on the game feeder.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the game feeder mounted on a tree, bythe mounting hooks shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

While various game feeders can embody the principles of the presentinvention, with reference to the drawings some of the presentlypreferred embodiments can be described.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, game feeder 10 comprises a main body 20,typically an cylindrical body comprising a wall and an interior space.Main body 20 may be formed from thin metal, plastic, or other materialsknown in the art. A discharge opening 30 is formed in the wall of mainbody 20, simply by cutting a suitably sized opening in the wall or byother means. A removable lid section 22 may be provided to access theinterior of the game feeder to fill it with feed. Alternatively, anaccess door, hatch, etc. may be provided in the top of main body 20 topermit filling the feeder.

An access door 40 is provided, which preferably has a latch or lock 42to keep access door 40 closed. Access door 40, as described furtherherein, permits access to the motor, timer, battery, etc., which are allin a recessed and sheltered position.

Referring to FIG. 2, a discharge plate 50 is positioned inside main body20, typically in a lower section of main body 10. In the position shownin FIG. 2, the base of main body 20 is substantially horizontal (i.e.the game feeder is in a substantially upright position, as in FIG. 1).As can be seen in FIG. 2, discharge plate 50 is preferably angledupwardly toward discharge opening 30; as can be understood from thisdescription, the angle of discharge plate 50 largely controls the angle(from the horizontal) which the game feed is discharged, and permits thegame feed to be discharged greater distances. While various slopes ordegrees of angle may be suitable, one presently preferred angle A is inthe range of 20 degrees from the horizontal. This permits the game feedto be discharged at suitable distances from game feeder 10. It isunderstood that other angles, lesser or greater, for example in therange of 10 degrees to 40 degrees, are possible. As can be readily seenfrom the drawings, especially FIG. 1, discharge opening 30 is elongatedin a generally horizontal direction (when the game feeder is viewed inthe position in FIG. 1), and has a height H sufficiently small tominimize animal depradation.

With reference to FIGS. 2-5, a motor 60, typically an electric motorwith a rotating drive shaft, typically a battery driven electric motor,is mounted beneath discharge plate 50 by a suitable bracket or othermeans. As can be seen in FIG. 2, motor 60 is housed within main body 10,and accessible for replacement, repair, etc. via access door 40, but isotherwise shielded from the elements and from varmints, especiallyracoons and the like. Various types of suitable drive motors are wellknown in the relevant art. A controller or timer mechanism 62, also wellknown in the art, is preferably coupled to motor 60 (and/or to battery64), which turns motor 60 on and off at desired intervals, therebycontrolling when game feed is discharged from game feeder 10. Thistiming may be adjusted so as to lure game animals into range at desiredtimes during the day or night. A battery 64 or other suitable energysource provides electric power to the motor 60.

A spinner plate 70 is attached to the drive shaft of motor 60, so thatspinner plate 70 is spun by motor 60. Spinner plate 70 comprises one ormore upwardly extending vanes 72, which contact and throw or dischargethe game feed from the game feeder, as later described. While a total offour vanes are shown in the embodiment shown in the figures, it isunderstood that a lesser (for example, two) or greater (for example,six) number of vanes could be used. Preferably, vanes 72 do not extendto the very edge of the spinner plate, but instead terminate a shortdistance, for example ⅛″ or so, from the edge of the spinner plate; thisclearance helps to avoid jamming. Further, as can be seen in FIG. 4,spinner plate 70 is disposed within an opening in discharge plate whichis slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the spinner plate;for example, the diameter of opening 52 is approximately ⅛″ larger thanthe diameter of spinner plate 70; this dimension may be between about1/16″ and ¼″. This gap between spinner plate 70 and opening 52, seeFIGS. 3 and 4, permits water and debris to fall down through the gap,into the area within main body 20 below discharge plate, and reducesjamming of spinner plate 70. In order to reduce the likelihood ofvarmints, for example raccoons, from reaching spinner plate 70 andstealing feed, spinner plate 70 is preferably positioned a suitabledistance C away from discharge opening 30 to minimize animaldepradation, for example between about 4″ and 12″, for example 8″ or so,as can be seen in FIG. 3. It is understood that other spacings arepossible within the scope of the invention. Additional braces 53 may beadded to give support to discharge plate 50.

A guide wall 80 extends from the edges of discharge opening 30 arounddischarge plate 70, generally forming a semi-circular profile (whenviewed from above, as in FIG. 3) around spinner plate 70. Guide wall 80serves several purposes, including constraining the game feed as itflows from reservoir 110 in a suitable position to be flung out byrotating vanes 72, to guiding the game feed out of discharge opening 30and out of game feeder 10. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, a smalldistance B is provided between the rearmost edge of opening 52 and therearmost part of guide wall 80, for example ⅛″.

A base plate 100 is positioned within main body 20, above dischargeplate 50, spinner plate 70, etc., and forming a reservoir 110 generallyin an upper section of the interior of main body 10. As can be seen inFIG. 5, base plate 100 is preferably generally cone-shaped, taperingdown to opening 102, through which game feed 200 (as can be seen in FIG.5, for illustrative purposes on two grains of corn are annotated) canflow by gravity to spinner plate 70. It is understood that other shapesof base plate 100 may be used, the common function being to funnel orchannel game feed to opening 102. Opening 102 is preferably positionedover spinner plate 70 generally as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 5, in aposition near the side of spinner plate 70 and guide wall 80 rearmostfrom discharge opening 30, and preferably positioned so as to depositfeed only in the rearmost (that is, farthest from the discharge opening)half of the spinner plate. By way of example only, opening 102 may besomewhat oval shaped, with dimensions of 1¼″×2″, which has been found toprovide a reasonable flow of game feed to spinner plate and vanes 70 and72. It is understood that these dimensions are by way of example only. Aprotruding rain guard 33 may be installed above discharge opening 30, toaid in keeping rain and the like out of the game feeder.

Preferably, a flexible tab or brush member 74 is mounted on guide wall80, on one side of spinner plate 70, which vanes 72 move through as theyrotate. Brush member 74 prevents game feed or other debris from rollingback down discharge plate 50 and causing jamming of spinner plate 70and/or vanes 72. Note that in the exemplary embodiment shown in thedrawings, for example FIG. 3, spinner plate 70 is rotating in acounter-clockwise direction, as indicated in FIG. 3. It is understoodthat either counter-clockwise or clockwise rotation is possible, withthe elements of the game feeder changed to accommodate the direction ofrotation.

Game feeder 10 may be placed upright on the ground or on short legs 299,e.g. 3″, held in position by stakes 300 and the like driven into theground (see FIG. 1), or alternatively may be mounted in an elevatedposition on a pole or tree to make the game feeder even morevarmint-proof, and to permit throwing game feed a greater distance fromgame feeder 10. In particular, mounting game feeder 10 on a support,such as a pole or tree in an elevated position minimizes damage and feedloss due to bear activity. To do so, a means for mounting game feeder 10in an elevated position may be provided, which in one embodimentcomprises a first attachment on game feeder 10 which mates with a secondattachment on the support (tree or pole). For example, a firstattachment comprising mounting hooks 120 may be provided on main body20, for example on the back side of main body 20. A second attachmentcomprising a mount base 130 may be fastened to a support, such as tree132 (or pole, etc.) by straps 134, etc. Mounting hooks 120 slide intoreceiving areas on mount base 130, thereby mounting game feeder 10 in adesired elevated position, suspended above a ground surface. It isunderstood that preferably game feeder 10 may be easily removed andre-mounted simply by lifting game feeder up and disengaging it frommount base 130, and reversing the process to again mount it. It isunderstood that various embodiments of releasable mounting may beconfigured. For example, mounting hooks 120 may be fixed to the support,while the mount base may be fixed to the game feeder.

Game feeder 10 may be made in dimensions to suit any particular setting.For example, the capacity of reservoir 110 may be made large enough tohold a substantial volume of game feed, for example 200 lbs. of corn.

It is to be noted that various attributes of game feeder 10 are designedto minimize predation of the game feed (i.e. unwanted taking of the feedby varmint animals) and damage to the game feeder by knocking it over(also then getting feed out of it), destruction of the motor, wiring,etc. With regard to reducing predation, a discharge opening 30 oflimited height dimensions is a key aspect of the game feeder embodyingthe principles of the present invention, as such limited dimensionsminimize the ability of raccoons and squirrels to reach any game feedthat is present on the spinner plate. By way of example, a dischargeopening having a height of approximately 1¼″ height is sufficientlylarge to permit easy discharge of game feed, yet prevents raccoons andsquirrels from physically entering the discharge opening with their fullbodies, forcing them to “reach” inside to get corn or other game feed.Depending upon the particular setting and/or animals dealt with, alarger or smaller opening may be provided, for example within the rangeof about ½″ to 2½″. As previously noted, yet another aspect ispositioning the spinner plate far enough back from discharge opening 30that the spinner plate is largely beyond the reach of varmints such asraccoons; a dimension of 8″ is believed to provide a good balancebetween minimizing predation yet still permitting proper discharge ofgame feed. Depending upon the particular setting and/or animals dealtwith, a larger or smaller spacing may be provided, for example withinthe range of about 4″ to 12″. As previously noted, motor 60 as well asbattery 64 and timer 62 are all positioned within and protected by mainbody 20, so they cannot be damaged by raccoons or other vermin, weather,etc. With regard to reducing losses by feral hogs and bears, both ofwhich may knock the feeder over, the feeder may be either staked down(if positioned on the ground or on short legs), or preferably the feederis mounted in an elevated position on a pole or tree, via the hook andbracket or other means, as previously described.

Use of the Game Feeder

Use of game feeder 10 is straight forward. With game feeder 10 in aconvenient location, for example on the ground, a desired volume of gamefeed is placed within reservoir 110 within main body 20, for examplecorn. A removable lid 22 (or other similar access means) enables accessto reservoir 110 but keeps rain, varmints, etc. from the game feedwithin. The relatively low height of main body 20 eases loading the gamefeeder with feed.

If the game feeder is to remain on the ground, if desired it can bestaked in position. If the game feeder is to be placed in an elevatedposition, it may be more convenient to mount it in said position firstthen fill it with game feed.

It is understood, and as can be seen from FIG. 5, that game feed willflow by gravity out of opening 102 to spinner plate 70, until theavailable space is filled (namely, the space between the rearmost guidewall and the spinner plate). Flow of course then stops.

When motor 60 is turned on (via timer 62 or other suitable means),spinner plate 70 and vanes 72 spin at relatively high rotational speed,vanes 72 hitting the feed and throwing it along discharge plate 50 andout discharge opening 30 to a distance from game feeder 10. Feeddischarge will continue until motor 60 is stopped.

Materials and Fabrication

Suitable materials for the various parts of game feeder 10 includemetals, plastics, or any other suitable materials and combinationsthereof. Certain components, for example motor 60, timer 62 and battery64 are commercially available components known in the art. Fabricationmay be by cutting, welding, adhesives, fasteners such as screws, nutsand bolts, riveting, etc.

Conclusion

While the preceding description contains many specificities, it is to beunderstood that same are presented only to describe some of thepresently preferred embodiments of the invention, and not by way oflimitation. Changes can be made to various aspects of the invention,without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the dimensions ofthe various components of the game feeder, including but not limited tothe capacity, may be varied to suit particular applications.

Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined not by theillustrative examples set forth above, but by the appended claims andtheir legal equivalents.

I claim:
 1. A game feeder, comprising: a main body having an upperreservoir section, said reservoir section sized to hold a desired volumeof game feed; a base plate disposed within said main body, defining abottom surface of said reservoir section, said base plate shaped so asto funnel game feed to an opening in said base plate through which gamefeed can flow; a discharge plate disposed within said main body, belowsaid base plate, said discharge plate extending in an upwardly slopingdirection to a discharge opening in a wall of said main body, saiddischarge opening being elongated in a generally horizontal directionand having a height sufficiently small to minimize animal depradation; aspinner plate disposed within an opening in said discharge plate, saidspinner plate comprising one or more upwardly extending vanes, saidspinner plate disposed below said opening in said base plate so as toreceive game feed onto said spinner plate as said game feed flows fromsaid reservoir section, said spinner plate positioned sufficiently farback from said discharge opening to minimize animal depradation; a guidewall disposed on said discharge plate, around at least a portion of saidspinner plate and extending substantially to said discharge opening; anda motor attached to said spinner plate and adapted to rotate saidspinner plate, a battery providing energy to said motor and a timercontrolling rotation of said motor, said motor, said battery and saidtimer disposed within said main body and shielded from outside access.2. The game feeder of claim 1, wherein said discharge opening height isbetween about ½″ and 2″, and said spinner plate is positioned betweenabout 4″ and 12″ from said discharge opening.
 3. The game feeder ofclaim 2, wherein said discharge opening height is between about 1″ and1½″, and said spinner plate is positioned between about 6″ and 10″ fromsaid discharge opening.
 4. The game feeder of claim 2, wherein saidopening in said discharge plate has a diameter between about 1/16″ and¼″ larger than a diameter of said spinner plate.
 5. The game feeder ofclaim 4, wherein said vanes extend toward an outer edge of said spinnerplate and terminate between about 1/16″ and ⅛″ from said outer edge. 6.The game feeder of claim 5, wherein a distance between said guide walland said opening in said discharge plate is at least about ⅛″.
 7. Thegame feeder of claim 6, further comprising a flexible brush membermounted on said guide wall, through which said vanes move as saidspinner plate rotates.
 8. The game feeder of claim 7, wherein said gamefeeder is resting on a ground surface, and further comprising stakesextending into said ground and supporting said game feeder in an uprightposition.
 9. The game feeder of claim 1, further comprising a means formounting said game feeder on a support in an elevated position.
 10. Thegame feeder of claim 9, wherein said means for mounting said game feederin an elevated position comprises a first attachment on said game feederand a mating second attachment on a support, wherein when said first andsecond attachments are mated together said game feeder is suspendedabove a ground surface.
 11. The game feeder of claim 10, wherein saidfirst attachment comprises one or more hooks, and said second attachmentcomprises a bracket attached to said support, and wherein said hooksengage said bracket so as to mount said game feeder on said support inan elevated position.
 12. The game feeder of claim 10, wherein saidfirst attachment comprises a bracket attached to said support; and saidsecond attachment comprises one or more hooks, and wherein said hooksengage said bracket so as to mount said game feeder on said support inan elevated position.
 13. A vermin-resistant game feeder, comprising: amain body having an upper reservoir section, said reservoir sectionsized to hold a desired volume of game feed; a base plate disposedwithin said main body, defining a bottom surface of said reservoirsection, said base plate shaped so as to funnel game feed to an openingin said base plate through which game feed can flow; a discharge platedisposed within said main body, below said base plate, said dischargeplate extending in an upwardly sloping direction to a discharge openingin a wall of said main body, said discharge opening being elongated in agenerally horizontal direction and having a height between about ½″ and2″; a spinner plate disposed within an opening in said discharge plate,said spinner plate comprising one or more upwardly extending vanesradiating outwardly from a center of said spinner plate and terminatingbefore an outer edge of said spinner plate, said spinner plate disposedbelow said opening in said base plate so as to receive game feed ontosaid spinner plate as said game feed flows from said reservoir section,said spinner plate positioned between about 6″ and 10″ from saiddischarge opening; a guide wall disposed on said discharge plate, aroundat least a portion of said spinner plate and extending substantially tosaid discharge opening, a rearmost part of said guide wall being betweenabout 1/16″ and ⅛″ from said opening in said discharge plate; and amotor attached to said spinner plate and adapted to rotate said spinnerplate, a battery providing energy to said motor and a timer controllingrotation of said motor, said motor, said battery and said timer disposedwithin said main body and shielded from outside access.
 14. The gamefeeder of claim 13, further comprising a flexible brush member mountedon said guide wall, through which said vanes move as said spinner platerotates.
 15. The game feeder of claim 14, wherein said discharge plateis sloped upward at an angle between about 10 degrees and 40 degreesfrom horizontal.
 16. The game feeder of claim 15, further comprising ameans for mounting said game feeder in an elevated position, said meanscomprising a first attachment on said game feeder and a mating secondattachment on a support, wherein when said first and second attachmentsare mated together said game feeder is suspended above a ground surface.17. The game feeder of claim 16, wherein said first attachment comprisesone or more hooks, and said second attachment comprises a bracketattached to said support, and wherein said hooks engage said bracket soas to mount said game feeder on said support in an elevated position.